Enzo Maresca, Chelsea manager, has recently dismissed rumors about Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall leaving the club in January. This comes amid speculation that West Ham is interested in signing the midfielder.
Dewsbury-Hall was a key player for Maresca’s Leicester City side last season, helping them secure the Championship title. His impressive performance led to his transfer to Stamford Bridge over the summer. However, despite a hefty £30 million transfer fee, Dewsbury-Hall has struggled to secure regular game time in Premier League matches.
Although he has been a regular feature in Carabao Cup and Conference League games, his presence on Premier League pitches has been limited. The 26-year-old midfielder managed just 55 minutes from five substitute appearances.
Speculation around his future at Chelsea
Adding fuel to speculations about his future at Chelsea are instances where he was left out of Chelsea’s matchday squad eight times without any apparent injury issues. This led many fans and pundits alike to speculate that he might cut short his stint with West-London based club.
West Ham reportedly expressed interest in bringing on board Dewsbury-Hall as part of their strategy to revive their struggling season - an idea endorsed by their new manager Graham Potter.
Maresca's assurance on player retention
However, when asked about these rumors surrounding Dewsbury-Hall's future at Stamford Bridge, Maresca firmly denied them. He insisted that despite limited playing time this season, the Englishman would remain with Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea manager, said:
‘At this moment Kiernan is our player and for sure, he has a future with us, it is not just about what I want. In this moment there is no plan for Kiernan [to leave].
‘For sure, he has to do that [fight for his place], no doubt. I know Kiernan quite well and he is going to do that.’
Unfortunately for fans hoping for more action from him soon will be disappointed as it was confirmed by Maresca that both Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile along with him will miss the upcoming game against Morecambe due to injuries.
While speculations continue to swirl around Dewsbury-Hall's future at Chelsea, Maresca's recent comments provide some assurance for fans. Despite a challenging start at Stamford Bridge, it seems that the talented midfielder is set to stay put and hopefully make a more significant impact in the coming games once he recovers from his injury.
